Hotch and Prentiss: Fortress Around Your Heart
by Live-4-CM
Summary: Emily has built walls around her heart so that she wouldn't get hurt. Aaron has been trying and trying to get her to let him in but when it becomes too much and hurts him what happens?


Author's Note: I love music and I like different kinds of music. I was going back over my girls' Song Title Prompt forum and saw the prompt list for the 80's again and I couldn't not do another story for one of the prompts:

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or Fortress Around Your Heart by Sting.

Song Prompt: Fortress Around Your Heart – Sting

Aaron felt as if he was beating his head up against a brick wall when it came to the woman he loved. It didn't matter what he tried to do to get through her barriers it never worked. He knew that she was holding herself back and as much as he loved her he was starting to hate that she held back. He loved her and he knew that he probably would always love her but he didn't think that he could take much more of what she was doing.

He looked at her from where he sat across the table at her and sighed. "Emily, I can't keep doing this to myself. I love you and I have for a long time now but you won't let me in. I want to be with you but all you keep doing is shutting me out and hurting me. You have a fortress around your heart and I don't know how to get through it. I love you and I always will but you have got to meet me half way here or I can't keep doing this. Every single time you push me away you break my heart a little and I don't have much of a heart left for you to break."

Emily stared at Aaron but didn't say anything. She wanted to let him in but it was as if she couldn't for some reason. She loved him but the fear she felt was consuming her. She knew that if something didn't change that she was going to lose him and that thought killed her.

Aaron looked at Emily and felt his heart break the rest of the way. As much as he loved her he couldn't go through this anymore. With one last sad look at her he stood up. He walked over to her and bent down and kissed her on the head before taking in a breath and releasing it as he walked towards her front door.

Emily felt the pain explode inside of her chest as Aaron walked towards the door. She had known that she was hurting him badly but she hadn't thought once that today would be the end of everything they had. The tears rushed to her eyes and she couldn't stop the sob that rose in her from escaping. She felt as if her heart was breaking and there wasn't anything she could do. She watched him open up the door through her tears and a scream came out of her mouth before she even knew it.

"No! No don't leave me! Oh God don't leave me!" Emily screamed as the pain built to a crescendo inside of her.

Aaron turned his head and looked over his shoulder at Emily after she screamed and his eyes widened in shock. He closed the door and ran to Emily's side and gathered her into his arms. He was hurting badly but it was nothing compared to what he was witnessing that Emily was going through. His heart broke even more as he held her in his arms while she sobbed and screamed into his chest. He knew then that the fortress that was around her heart had cracked and now he had to help her through it.

"Shhh Emily it's okay Sweetheart. I have you and I'm not going any where. Come on love you need to calm down. This can't be good for you. Come on Emily, I'm right here and I promise you that I'm not going anywhere." Aaron whispered into Emily's ear as he held her tight to his chest.

Emily gulped in some breaths and buried her head further into Aaron's chest and managed to gasp out "I do love you Aaron. I know that I have walls built up and I've tried taking them down but I can't do it myself anymore. I'm so tired of being alone. I'm so afraid of getting hurt like I have in the past and that's why the walls are built as high as they are. God I love you and I can't stand to lose you."

Aaron felt his heart sore and piece it's way back together and he kissed Emily on the head. "Listen to me Sweetheart. I know that you've been hurt in the past but so have I. I love you Emily. You are as much my reason for living as Jack is. I didn't want to leave you but I didn't know what else to do. I knew that you loved me but it was hurting me that you kept pushing me away and I couldn't handle it. As for the walls you have built up Sweetheart I'll help you break them down. I promise I'm not going anywhere. I just needed for you to show some kind of emotion."

Emily nodded and burrowed further into Aaron. "Will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Aaron smiled. "Of course I will Sweetheart. You're never going to be alone again."

Emily pulled back a little and looked into Aaron's eyes and knew that he was telling her the truth and she finally smiled. She pulled his head down and kissed him lightly before putting her head on his shoulder. She knew that it was going to take time but finally the walls she had built around her to protect her were breaking down and she was finally happy and she knew that Aaron wouldn't hurt her. The last thought on her mind before she finally drifted off to sleep with him holding her on the couch was that even though it hurt to see him leaving like he head been earlier it was worth it because she finally told him how she felt. She fell asleep sitting by him and in his arms with a smile on her head when she felt him kiss her head.


End file.
